The R-M Code is an annual collaboration between TheArsenale and R-M Paint, the professional automotive paint brand, designed to celebrate the intersection of creativity, mobility design and advanced paint technology. By bringing together 12 of Europe's most original builders, designers and customizers, the programme creates a platform for pushing creative expression through a medium that is rarely treated as art: automotive paint.
What Is the R-M Code?
The R-M Code issues each participating designer with a single brief: create an innovative mobility concept and finish it using R-M Paint. The challenge sounds simple, but the scope is deliberately open. The 12 builders come from disciplines ranging from car customization to motorcycle sprint racing to industrial design, and each brings a completely different interpretation of what a mobility concept can be. The unifying element is the paint itself: R-M provides the medium, and the builders provide the vision.
This format, born from TheArsenale's belief that mobility is a form of creative expression, has produced some of the most compelling custom vehicles to come out of Europe in recent years. The builders involved are not just craftsmen; they are artists working with steel, carbon, rubber and paint as their materials.
Meet the R-M Code Builders
The 12 participants in the R-M Code represent the breadth of European custom vehicle culture:
- Von Zadig: A Belgian pilot, designer and artist. Von Zadig works across cars, motorcycles and sculptural objects, with a deep affection for vintage BMW airheads and Harley Davidson machines.
- Vilner: Atanas Vilner has been running his Bulgarian Vilner Studio since 1996, specialising in complete interior and exterior transformations of production cars and motorcycles.
- Kiska: An Austrian design firm with a portfolio spanning boat design, motorcycle helmets, bicycles and mobility systems. Kiska's motto: "Transforming dreams into reality starts with the right place, the right people and the right vibe."
- Death Spray Custom: David Gwyther's DSC defies easy categorisation. His paint-based artworks cover helmets, car bonnets, motorcycles and apparel with a style that is entirely his own.
- Garage Italia Customs: Leaded by Lapo Elkann, Garage Italia is one of Italy's most flamboyant custom ateliers. Extravagant designs, outrageous paint schemes and an uncompromising approach to creativity.
- Caresto: Swedish design house led by Leif Tufvesson. Caresto builds complete vehicles from blueprints to finished product, combining engineering capability with pure craftsmanship.
- Lucky Cat Garage: French speedhouse led by Seb Loretz, specialising in sprint racers and custom motorcycles finished in bold colour schemes. Lucky Cat is one of the most respected names in European sprint culture, and you can see their work in the Lucky Cat BMW R80 Six Days available on TheArsenale.
Why the R-M Code Matters for Mobility Design
The R-M Code sits at a productive meeting point between the custom vehicle world and the broader art and design conversation. It treats paint not as a finishing step but as a design tool, and challenges its participants to think about the surface of a vehicle as a canvas rather than a coating. The programme is a reminder that the vehicles we ride and drive are objects with aesthetic dimensions that deserve the same attention as their mechanical ones.
For an understanding of how professional automotive paint technology enables custom builds like these, Standox (R-M's sister brand) and Car Painting Advice both provide accessible context on what separates professional paint systems from consumer products.
Explore the Builders of the R-M Code on TheArsenale
Several of the R-M Code builders have vehicles available directly through TheArsenale. Explore the work of FCR Original, one of France's finest custom motorcycle ateliers, or browse Plan B Motorcycles for handcrafted machines from Belgium. The Yamaha TR1R Skinny Beast by Schlachtwerk is also available, one of the most striking sprint-focused custom builds to come from the German workshop. For the full range of the world's finest custom motorcycles, start with our Motorcycles collection.
